Safety binder

ABSTRACT

A safety binder for binding bulky or heavy loads on trucks or in storage areas which may be alternately used as a come-along to move heavy loads, which includes a bifurcated frame having a handle at one end, and a flared disk opposite the handle. The disk is adapted to carry three pivoting arms disposed at essentially 120* with respect to each other around the periphery thereof. Two of the arms are clevis-shaped, the legs of which are mounted on the outside surfaces of the disk, and the third of which is a bar pivoted within the bifurcated body of the disk. The pivoted arms are equipped with hooks designed to engage a load binder to effect binding or movement of the load, as desired, by connecting two of the hooks to the load binder and a stationary object, respectively, and manipulating the handle to effect the desired binding or moving of the load.

United States Patent Watson, Sr.

[52] US. Cl. 254/75 [51] Int. Cl. B66F 3/00 [58] Field of Search 254/73-78 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 259,671 6/1882 Dean 254/75 912,845 2/1909 Haynes et a]. 254/75 1,021,635 3/1912 Schumann 254/75 1,650,328 11/1927 Crumbach et a1. 254/75 3,218,031 11/1965 Lucas 254/78 3,265,356 8/1966 Landers 254/75- Inventor:

F iled:

SAFETY BINDER Leon Watson, Sr., 6018 Bowie St.,

Shreveport, La. 71 108 June 3, 1974 App]. No; 475,517

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Australia 254/76 Primary ExaminerOthell M. Simpson Attorney, Agent, or Firm-John M. Harrison 5 7] ABSTRACT A safety binder for binding bulky or heavy loads on trucks or in storage areas which may be alternately used as a come-along to move heavy loads, which includes a bifurcated frame having a handle at one end,

and a flared disk opposite the handle. The disk is 7 adapted to carry three pivoting arms disposed at essentially 120 with respect to each other around the periphery thereof. Two of the arms are clevis-shaped, the legs of which are mounted on the outside surfaces of the disk, and the third of which is a bar pivoted within the bifurcated body of the disk. The pivoted arms are equipped with hooks designed to engage a load binder to effect binding or movement of 'the load, as desired, by connecting-two of the hooks to the load binder and a stationary object, respectively, and manipulating the handle to effect the desired binding or moving of the load.

2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures SAFETY BINDER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to a new and improved load binder and pulling implement which is employed to fa cilitate the fastening of loads with chains, cables and the like, or the movement of such loads, as desired. Such tools are quite generally used for securing heavy loads such as logs, pipes or the like to vehicles or storage pallets while in transit or in stored configuration, respectively. The device of this invention is not limited to such specialized use, however, since the particular design of the device permits the capability of employing the device for stretching wire, pulling stumps, moving heavy loads, and similar uses.

2. Description of the Prior Art Heretofore, various load tightening apparatus have been developed to secure loads to vehicles and storage pallets through the use of cables or chains. Typical of the devices known in the prior art which have been used for this purpose is the load binder disclosed in US. Pat. No. 1,972,346 to G. R. Juline, which discloses a binder consisting of an actuating lever, one end of which is shaped to constitute a handle to operate the tool and bind or release the load, and the other end being adapted to pivot within a bifurcated member equipped with trunnions. The tool is operated by moving the actuating lever to bind or unbind the load as desired. A similar device is disclosed in US. Pat. No.

2,089,679 to G. E. Williams which also,,consists of a lever equipped with two pivot points at one end and members pivoted to these pivot points, the members carrying hooks for engagement with a cable or chain to effect binding of a load.

Binders or boomerssuch as those described above in the prior art are characterized by many undesirable features, among which are lack of durability, and lack of positive closure to ensure that the load does not be come loosened under stress. Yet another shortcoming inherent in conventional binders is the lack of design capability of operating as a comealong in moving heavy loads from one point to another, since most of the prior art binders are designed to lock a load in place rather than to double as a come-along device and binder.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved load binder having the dual capability for binding a load in place on a vehicle or storage pallet and acting as a come-along to move heavy objects from one position to another.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved load binder and mover which is rugged in construction, simple to use, and which effects a positive binding of the load when actuated, and yet which may be easily and quickly manipulated to release the load when desired.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a load binder which may be used as a come-along by initially attaching two of the three pivot arms or levers to the load and a stationary object, respectively; manipulating the handle to effect movement of the load with respect to the stationary object; disengaging one pivot arm from the load binder; positioning the third pivot arm to the load binder; and effecting movement of the handle in the opposite direction to cause additional movement of the load with respect to the stationary object.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION These and other objects of the invention are provided in a load binder for binding a load to a vehicle or storage pallet and alternately acting as a come-along, which includes the following: i

1. A bifurcated frame having a handle at one end and a flared disk at the opposite end;

2. Three pivot arms pivoted to the periphery of the disk and spaced at essentially with respect to each other;

3. Hooks positioned at the free ends of the pivoted arms for engaging a load binder to bind a load or to effect movement of the load with respect to a stationary object, in operation as a come-along.

..BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be better understood in view of the following description presented with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 of the drawings is a top elevation of the load binder of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the binder illustrated in FIG. I; and

FIGS. 3 and 4 are perspective views showing the load binder illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 connected to a load and stationary object and in operation as a come-along.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing, the safety binder of this invention, generally illustrated by reference numeral 1, is shown with plates 2 converging at one end to form handle 3, fitted with handle grip 4, and diverging to form bifurcated disk 5. Forward pivot arm 6, consisting of clevis 7 and clevis face 1], is pivotally connected to disk 5 by means of pin 8. Clevis face 11 is fitted with pivot eye 10, to which is connected chain link 12, carrying hook 17, for engagement with a load binder. Rear pivot arms 13, consisting of rear clevis 14 and rear bar 15, are also pivotally connected to disk 5 by means of pins 8. Like forward clevis 7, rear clevis 14 is fitted with clevis face 11, pivot eye 10, chain link 12 and hook 17. Both forward clevis 7 and rear clevis 14 are pivoted to the outside surfaces of disk 5, while bar 15 is pivotally disposed within the bifurcated portion of disk 5 by means of spacers 18. Op tional washers 19 may be interposed between the legs of forward clevis 7 and rear clevis 14, in order to facilitate pivoting of each clevis with respect to flared disk 5.

Directing attention now to FIG. 1 in particular, it will be appreciated that rear pivot arms 13, consisting of rear clevis 14 and bar 15, are positioned in crossed relationship, and the pivoting movement of rear clevis I4 is limited to forward pivot arm 6 in one direction, and plates 2 in the opposite direction. Movement of bar 15 is limited to plates 2 in one direction, and clevis face 11 of clevis 7 of forward pivot arm 6, in the other direction. Similarly, forward pivot arm 6 is constrained to pivot from plates 2 in one direction to the point of pivot of rear clevis 14 in the other direction.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawing, when it is desired to secure a load 20 to a vehicle or loading pallet (not illustrated), it is only necessary to provide a chain 22 and a load cable or chain 21 in cooperation with the load 20, for connection with hooks 17, carried by forward clevis 7 and bar 15, respectively. Handle grip 4 is then grasped by the user and pulled in the di rection of the arrow to cause forward clevis 7 to move toward load 20, bar to move away from the load. thereby effecting a tightening of chain 22 and load cable or chain 21 to bind the load to the vehicle or loading pallet. Alternatively, if the object is to move the load closer to a stationary object, then movement of handle grip 4 in the direction indicated effects a move ment of the load toward the object, as desired. If it is desired to continue movement of the load closer to the stationary object, referring to FIG. 4 of the drawing, after handle grip 4 is moved as far as it will go in the direction of the arrow as illustrated in FIG. 3, hook 17, carried by rear clevis l4, may be positioned to engage chain 22, while hook 17 carried by forward clevis 7 is disengaged from chain 22. Movement of handle grip 4 in the direction of the arrow as indicated in FIG. 4, and in the opposite direction from that indicated in H0. 3, then causes load 20 to move closer to the stationary object through the combined actuation of rear clevis l4 and bar 15. as activated by handle grip 4. Hook 17 carried by forward clevis 7 may then be reengagcd hook 17 carried by rear clevis l4 disengaged. and the load may be moved as far as desired by repeating the procedure outlined above.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that while it is preferred to use pivot eyes 10, chain links 12, and hooks 17 in the invention to engage the load, binding chain or cable, the hooks or alternative engaging means can be fitted directly to the pivot arms if desired.

It will be further appreciated that forward pivot arm 6 and 'rear pivot arms 13 are preferably positioned at lo cations of about degrees with respect to each other in order to facilitate optimum leverage upon actuation of handle grip 4.

Having described my invention with the particularity set forth above. what is claimed is: l. A safety binder comprising: a. A frame having a handle at one end thereof and a bifurcated disk opposite and in cooperation with said handle;

b. A forward clevis in pivotal cooperation with the outside surfaces of said bifurcated disk near the periphery of said bifurcated disk and in alignment with and directly opposite said handle;

c. A rear clevis spaced about 120 from said forward clevis in pivotal cooperation with the outside surfaces of said bifurcated disk and spanning said bifurcated disk;

d. A rear pivot bar spaced about 120 from said forward clevis and said rear clevis in pivotal cooperation with the inside bifurcated periphery of said bifurcated disk and pivotally disposed in crossed relationship with said rear clevis;

e. Means in cooperation with the free ends of said forward clevis, said rear pivot bar and said rear clevis for sequentially connecting said free ends to a load-engaging binder.

2. The safety binder of claim I wherein said means in cooperation with said free end of said forward clevis and said free ends ofsaid rear pivot bar and said rear clevis is a hook. 

1. A safety binder comprising: a. A frame having a handle at one end thereof and a bifurcated disk opposite and in cooperation with said handle; b. A forward clevis in pivotal cooperation with the outside surfaces of said bifurcated disk near the periphery of said bifurcated disk and in alignment with and directly opposite said handle; c. A rear clevis spaced about 120* from said forward clevis in pivotal cooperation with the outside surfaces of said bifurcated disk and spanning said bifurcated disk; d. A rear pivot bar spaced about 120* from said forward clevis and said rear clevis in pivotal cooperation with the inside bifurcated periphery of said bifurcated disk and pivotally disposed in crossed relationship with said rear clevis; e. Means in cooperation with the free ends of said forward clevis, said rear pivot bar and said rear clevis for sequentially connecting said free ends to a load-engaging binder.
 2. The safety binder of claim 1 wherein said means in cooperation with said free end of said forward clevis and said free ends of said rear pivot bar and said rear clevis is a hook. 